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To have more one needs to produce more. To produce more one has to know more.

My propaganda poster describes a farmer’s hand grabbing a hoe on a book. Below the poster, it is written “to have more one needs to produce more, to produce more one has to know more.” The early generation of the Soviet Union under Lenin did not have enough resources and maintenances for the industrialization including materials and human resources because Russian empire had been suffered from the same problems during the civil war and communist revolution which were occurred to change the whole system by arguing the society as an origin of social problems. Although the Leninist communism mainly protesting for obtaining an equality in labors and an improvement in industrialization, he could not suggest any proper solution to the Soviet Union because fundamentally the wealth gap in a society was tremendous. Therefore, he tried to implement the society with many new social plans which were based on the industrialization. The new plans changed a previous system of distribution of wealth such as lands and private properties and set the main agenda on the industrialization based on agriculture. The main agenda was focused on increasing productivity in agriculture based on the industrialization. However, as I mentioned above, the Soviet Union did not have enough resources to run the plan, the central government was neither politically stable, and fundamentally the people were not educated to follow the communist plan. Finally, Lenin concentrated on setting a concrete industrialization plan that educational revolution was added on the same plan.

Regarding that the origin of the Leninist communism is enlightenment, the new plan of educational revolution seems adequate and innovational to attract supports from the people. Nevertheless, the Soviet Union was not prepared to the communist revolution. Lenin believed that the industrialization from the central government could not be successful without the education, however, he also realized that there are too many people who do not realize a necessity of the communist revolution. People used to live in a hierarchical social structure under the Tsarist Russian empire and the Bolsheviks who finally took a control over the Soviet Union should struggle with opponents. There were a lot of people who could not read and write; they were not helpful to industrialization because what they could do was only working hard such as physical activities. In order to increase productivity in agriculture, tools and machines are required with a development in technology. To Lenin who should resolve social and political problems simultaneously, he should approach to the educational revolution in a different way unlike to 19th century communists. By publishing propaganda posters talking about the relevance of the educational revolution which will bring more foods to all people, he targeted to attract people in rural areas.

Therefore, Lenin’s propaganda about the educational revolution concentrated on the strong points so that he could receive supports educational revolution was also beneficial to dominate the people with his ideology in the political situation. The educational revolution included the elementary education which could establish a general recognition of the communism and a necessity of agricultural revolution. Lenin believed that the education would enlighten many people, mostly who were living in rural areas where people could not access to much information; it would lead to increasing productivity in agriculture. Moreover, regarding the base industrial structure at that time, the educational revolution was possible to attract more workers in the Soviet Union because a lot of workers complained about a terrible wealth gap in a society and opportunities to work. Interestingly, the educational revolution is similar to British educational system in 20th century which provided an elementary education for free to everyone because British government believed that it will increase productivity and development in a society.

However, in case of Britain, they had enough resources to support the educational policy and London was the biggest city in the world at that time. The city of London already accomplished industrial transition successfully before World War I; it is compared to the situation of the Soviet Union still struggling with civil wars and protests at the same time. Nevertheless, Lenin’s educational revolution was necessary to the Soviet Union. Perhaps, later success in industrialization and development would be possible because of Lenin’s educational plan. As we recognize how the educational plan ideologically influenced the Soviet Union, the early hardship is understandable. Unlikely to the Stalinist communism, Lenin’s ultimate purpose was purely on the enlightenment of the workers. In my opinion, he would explain about the necessity of elementary education and relation of the education and increase of productivity better than any other philosophers in London. Regarding the lack of resources and social situation which contrasts with Britain where the national government did not struggle with revolution by compromising with the people, I can claim that Lenin’s educational plan and his propaganda on the plan was truly meaningful for the Soviet Union.

To have more one needs to produce more. To produce more one has to know more.